
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he did not believe New York City’s statue of Christopher Columbus should be removed, citing the explorer’s cultural significance to Italian Americans.
Asked at his daily press briefing if it was “time for” the statue, which stands on a 27-foot column in Columbus Circle, “to go,” Cuomo responded, “I understand the dialogue that’s been going on for a number of years, [but] the Christopher Columbus statue in some way represents the Italian American legacy in this country and the Italian American contribution in this country,” although he conceded that “some of his acts … nobody would support.”
“The statue has come to represent and signify an appreciation for the Italian American contribution to New York,” he added.